Sunday, July 15, 2018

An Interview with Rich Ragany!

Photo by Dean Unsworth

I rarely do interviews. But when presented with the opportunity to interview Rich Ragany in advance of his debut solo album Like We'll Never Make It, I jumped at the chance! In my book, Rich Rags is one of the truly great songwriters in rock n' roll today. Fresh off of three albums in three years with his amazing band Role Models, Rags is working with PledgeMusic to release Like We'll Never Make It later this year.

F & L: Hi Rich! I've got to say I'm really excited about your new solo record. Tell me how you ended up deciding to do a solo release after all of this time. Can we expect something a little different with this record?

RR: Hello Lord Rutledge! Great to be talkin' to ya! Well, after doing the three Role Models albums in three years, the subsequent shows and tours, I just started writing and was noticing a shift in how I was approaching lyrics. Even though I write all the Role Models material, this stuff was getting far more personal. Musically, I felt it would be great to have a different interpretation. Build them on a different foundation. That coupled with the fact my brothers in Role Models were having kids and getting busy with other things, I thought, well, I don't feel like stopping!

F & L: You've worked with the PledgeMusic platform several times now. How has that experience been for you?

RR: The PledgeMusic platform allows me to record and release music straight to people who want to listen without having someone tell me when or how. It has been really successful with the Role Models stuff and progressing great on this new venture!

F & L: Can you talk about some of the talented people you have playing on this new record?

RR: Yes! This band is something I am very excited about. Let's start with Gaff on guitar. He has been in bands like The Glitterati and Dedwardians. I saw him in the latter years ago and loved his playing. He came across as someone who really loves to play and believes in rock 'n' roll. A friendship ensued, and he was an obvious choice to me. He ended up a real righthand man on this and is a real important ingredient to the sound. I look forward to writing more with my new partner! You all have another Bon Jovi/Sambora on your hands, so look out! We'll be "out on the streets"! Hahahaha!

Talking about partners, there is my man Andy Brook. There is not a note that I've recorded in the UK that hasn't had his production paws all over it. He is family. Plain and simple. And now he's also on the other side of the glass and playing with me on this. It's about time.

Simon Maxwell is playin' the drums. The drummer in Role Models. To say we have a bond is putting it lightly. Had to have him along. Had to.

Kris Rodgers from the mighty Scott Sorry Band on keyboards. When RM toured with those beautiful creatures, it was like immediate animalistic love. Smelly and real. A bond was forged and I love those guys! To say I didn't notice the blinding talent in our pal Kris would be a lie worthy of jail time. What he has done on these songs has spun me dizzy. I like it that way!

Kit Swing is someone who played in Mallory Knox in London and is just a great singer. She joined Role Models on the song "Obituary Writer", off of Dance Moves, and on stage, most notably when we toured with Michael Monroe. She has also been a very close friend for years, and it's about time we got to do this together.

Then there's Ricky! Ricky McGuire. He plays bass in The Men They Couldn't Hang and has some great history as a teenage member of UK Subs back in the day. I met him at a Men's show, and we ended up hangin' out all night playing records. His playing is phenomenal. Taking the songs into real beautiful, melodically tough territory. Just don't give him whisky. Anything else is okay though, hahaha!

F & L: I'm blown away by how prolific you've been at creating music. You did three albums in three years with Role Models, and now you've got Like We'll Never Make It in the works. How have you managed to turn out so much quality material so quickly? Are you writing new songs literally all the time?

RR: I am writing all the time. But in way that's different to how I did it years ago. Where before I may have wandered gypsy like day-to-day writing whenever I felt like it, I now have some structure. And I found it suited me down to the ground. When my boy was diagnosed with autism, it became apparent we needed someone at home, to be there for him. My wife and I are a real team, we do what we need to and support each other. Me being at home with both our children means I look at my day, see a window of opportunity and act upon it. For example, I soon realised doing the dishes wasn't a mundane chore. It cleaned up the kitchen and crockery for my loved ones, ensuring no one gets some bacterial sickness AND gave me the chance to organise my thoughts into lyrics. I can play guitar when I get a flash of inspiration around my daughter because she loves it. I use my time as wisely as I can. Then collapse and watch Star Trek re-runs, hahaha.

F & L: Are you looking to get out and do some solo shows in support of this album? If so, what should people expect if they turn up?

RR: Yes. There are some great shows already booking up. Sharing the stage with some great people.
We got August 8th at The Slaughtered Lamb in London with the amazing Steve Conte of the New York Dolls and Michael Monroe. My pal! Love that dude! 12 September at Aces and Eights London with Rob Carlyle of The Compulsions, Darrell Bath of Crybabys, Dogs D'Amour, and Vibrators. And Honest John Plain! The main songwriter in powerpop legends The Boys! And 20 October at The Lounge with The Dirty Strangers and The Brutalists featuring Nigel Mogg of the original Quireboys! And a couple of really special gigs that I can't share yet!
You can expect rock n roll with big heart and a big sound.

F & L: I think it's awesome that funds from this project will be used to help out Scott Sorry. I know you guys have been friends for a long time. Can you talk a little about your history with Scott?

RR: Scott and I met years ago when he was in The Wildhearts. Introduced by our mutual friend and brother Rich Jones. He played at the Astoria, and we all went 'round to Jones's' afterwards. We bonded pretty hard that night. The start of an enduring friendship. He and I are there for each other, giving support and advice pertaining to our lil' autistic dudes. He has been there for me when I needed someone. So I try to be there for him. Also we shared the same constitution when it came to recreation years ago, so we have some great stories. A past with a thousand smiles and some very real hilarious and touching moments. He is a tough dude with a heart so big ya begin to wonder if he keeps it remotely somewhere. So yeah, I'm gonna try and help.

F & L: Like We'll Never Make It will be your first solo release. I'm guessing it won't be your last! Have you thought about what's coming down the pike in the upcoming years? Can we expect to hear more from Role Models as well?

RR: I am on a high with this band. Already writing the follow up. Gaff and I got a little space in front of his washing machine that is gonna be a very busy and creative place. Then I realise "Look out! I have some gigs to play with Role Models." I go and re-acquaint myself with the material and... can I just say I feel very lucky to be able to create and perform music with all these people?
I know we spend a little time on this ol' rock twistin' the night away through space. I get the feeling I need to do more, say more, and listen more. Look at this right here. I get a chance to talk to a real believer in rock n roll. You. That fills my chest with the right kind of oxygen, man. And I want to keep these relationships alive. So you can say there will be more. As much as I can.
Thanks so much for your time! All hail Lord Rutledge!

Head on over to PledgeMusic for details on how to pre-order Like We'll Never Make It. And be sure to check out the Role Models’ Bandcamp page if you haven't already!

About Me

Former head honcho at Now Wave Magazine, still writing about '77 style punk, power pop, garage/trash, and straight-up rock n' roll. I generally do not ask for review submissions. If you have something you'd like me to hear, please send digital submissions only. Due to life demands, I will be scaling the blog back to just a few reviews a month. I apologize in advance for being unable to review most of the submissions that are sent my way. fasterandlouderblog@gmail.com